This invention relates generally to washing machines, and more particularly, to belt driven washers having no transmission.
Washing machines typically include a cabinet that houses an outer tub for containing wash and rinse water, a perforated clothes basket within the tub, and an agitator within the basket. A drive motor and transmission are mounted underneath the outer tub to rotate the agitator relative to the basket and a pump assembly pumps water from the tub to a drain to execute a wash cycle.
Generally, the transmission provides gear reduction from the motor for agitate and spin functions. However, known washer transmissions include rather inflexible washer platforms. For example, the transmissions typically have a non-variable agitator motion, including stroke, ramp rate, arc, and arc length. Generally, with a transmission, only the agitation rate or speed can be changed without changing the transmission. Furthermore, the transmission adds to the part count and the overall complexity of the washer drive mechanism.